Previews

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2

Spiffy:

Retuned level design to incorporate more flexibility in co-op approach.

Iffy:

Knight seems like the strong, silent type; only two-player co-op?!

We didn't actually have to play Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 to get upset about the fact that developer Ubisoft Montreal has removed the four-player co-op component, but we played it anyway because we love tactical assault. As it turns out, the game seems to work very well with the streamlined two-player co-op, though we're still going to lament the loss of our extra two bros. On the bright side, at least we won't have to worry about losing them in battle.

Double Tap

Ubi Montreal has said that it cut the co-op down to two players so that the game would focus on the storyline, but we don't really see that as a compelling reason based on what we've played so far. While the host player plays as Bishop (the main character in the single-player campaign), the guest plays as a character named Knight who is nearly as faceless as the terrorists you'll plug by the dozens. Granted, we were only allowed to play the first couple levels, but Knight's distinct lack of dialog or any other participation beyond simply mowing down bad guys didn't seem much different from the experience of playing Rainbow Six: Vegas with only two players in a co-op game.

One thing that will definitely be different in Vegas 2, however, will be the option to hot-swap co-op for single-player on the fly. Now you'll be able to jump into a friend's game mid-mission with little to no interruption in play. Likewise, you can bounce out of a game without spoiling your teammate's progress, which is something we could have used on a number of occasions in the past when our pals didn't have the stamina (or the disposable sleep) to charge through every level with us.

Dual by Design

Of course, the work that Ubi Montreal has put into enhancing the single-player campaign also carries over to the co-op campaign. The added entrances/exits to each room and the crafting of environments to include multiple approaches to each objective works brilliantly and offers numerous opportunities for coordination with your fellow player. That said, if you happen to find yourself playing with IGN's Nate Ahern, you may want to keep your eyes open, because that guy charges into every room heedless of whether or not there are hostages present.

Playing as Knight (Bishop's second fiddle), you surrender control of the rest of the team to Bishop, which can again become a trying experience if you're playing with a psychotic hothead like Nate who is always forgetting to bring them along. There doesn't seem to be any way to transfer control of the squad, so a little planning beforehand (mainly sussing out who will take command as Bishop) will probably come in handy.

While the tutorial level looks remarkably different from anything we've seen in Vegas before, the next level had us back in Las Vegas and into more familiar territory. In that second level, which focuses predominantly on interior battles (featuring at least one neon-lit nightclub) and rooftop bullet exchanges, we noted that Vegas 2 feels very much like the first. We won't come right out and call it Rainbow Six: Vegas 1.5, but it's clear that this iteration of the series has targeted refinement over innovation. This honestly doesn't disappoint us considering the quality of the first Vegas.

Due out a little later this month, Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 seems to be shaping up to be another great installment in the saga of Team Rainbow, even if it does cut our squad size in half.